Fist of the Sith
by Steel Giant
Summary: A chronicle of Darth Maul's grueling training under his master, Darth Sidious.
1. Dragonslayer

**Disclaimer:** In no way shape or form do I own these characters and stuff.  
  
**Author's Note:** This is the revised version of the first chapter. The text of the story is for the most part, unchanged, but I've added a chapter heading and a "mini-glossary" for terms the average reader may not be familiar with. I hope you enjoy.  
  
**Guide to Terms:**   
  
_Tatooine-_ The desert planet that is the setting for this opening chapter. It has two suns and almost no precipitation. It is featured in _Star Wars: A New Hope_, _Star Wars: Return of the Jedi_, and _Star Wars: The Phantom Menace_.  
  
_Repulsorcraft-_ land vehicles that are used within the atmospheres of planets. They are suspended in the air by repulsors underneath the vehicle.  
  
_Electrobinoculars-_ binoculars with power zooming and measuring instruments  
  
_Krayt Dragon_-immense lizards that live on Tatooine. They are rarely seen and the basis of many legends and tall tales. They have many portrayals ranging from multilegged snakes to winged dragons much like that of a fantasy novel. Feel free to use your imagination here.  
  
_Zabrak_- the race that Darth Maul belongs to. They tend to be physically tough and vary suitable for survival in harsh environments. Keep in mind, that Darth Maul's facial markings are tatoos, NOT the skin color of his race. Facial tatoos are customary to Zabrak culture, although they are rarely as extreme as the tatoos possessed by Darth Maul. His tatooing was a painful example of his devotion to his master and his hellish training as a Sith warrior.  
  
_Sith- _the thought-to-be-extinct rivals of the Jedi. They only manifest themselves in twos, although long ago they were very numerous. Only a master and an apprentice may ever be allowed to exist at once, in concordance with the current Sith Order. They weild the dark side of the force.  
  
_Darth-_ the formal title of a Sith-Lord.   
  
_Krayt Pearl-_ lizards often eat stones to aid their weak digestive systems. After a while, they become rounded and smooth from constant exposure to digestive juices. These rounds, smooth stones are called gizzard stones. A Krayt Pearl is basically a giant gizzard stone. They tend to be near-perfectly round, perfectly smooth, and are extremely valuable. They are incredibly hard to acquire as Krayt Dragons are extremely difficult to locate... and once located, they are nigh impossible to kill (at least for a hunting party).

_Durasteel_- a strong alloy often used in armor plating.

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_First Chapter: Dragonslayer_  
  
The twin suns shone high in the sky over the long, never ending desert. A lone figure stood atop a large boulder.   
  
A pair of electrobinoculars were held up over his partially concealed face. The man was patiently surveying the sandy sea before him, which seemed to go on forever. He was searching for his quarry...  
  
After putting away his binoculars, the man mounted the speeder bike that was floating idly behind him, and took off. Determined to prove his strength, he would continue his hunt elsewhere.  
  
The sleek repulsorcraft flew swiftly and gracefully over the rolling dunes of sand, while the tattered, sand colored cloak of its rider flapped in the wind as if it were an unfurled banner. The flapping cloak revealed a strong, yet agile body concealed beneath desert fatigues. It was quite apparent that he had been forging his body into a weapon.   
  
He resumed his search across the vast desert. The sight of never-ending sand and rock formations had become all too familiar a sight to his disciplined eyes. He had been hunting like this for months to test his strength and prove to his master that he would soon be ready. He would soon be ready to exterminate those troublesome Jedi once and for all.  
  
Suddenly, the man turned and alighted his speeder atop another rocky formation. A large shadow had caught his eye.

At first, he didn't believe his Zabrak eyes. Until he realized that his search had definitely ended. Before his very eyes, beyond the rocky platform on which he had landed, stood a Krayt Dragon. The beast was hideous, yet majestic at the same time. The legendary lizard was immense, and its scales looked as hard as durasteel. Its long, reptilian back was lined with sharp, bony spines. While its fearsome gaze scanned the horizon for a meal that would befit its fang-filled maw. A lizard this beast was not. It was quite apparent there was a reason it is referred to as a dragon.  
  
The taciturn man pulled off his protective cloak and let it fall to the ground, revealing his intricately tattooed face. He drew a long, metallic hilt from the side of his fatigues, and solemnly walked towards his quarry.   
  
The dragon's senses were sharp, and he caught the scent of the Zabrak man that now stood before him.   
  
The dragon was quite old, and quite powerful. It was also quite hungry. The beast was more than hungry enough to overlook the fact that the small morsel approaching him would barely make a mouthful. It craved meat.  
  
The menacing demon had halted his advance on the mountain-like lizard. Eye contact had been made. The two were staring each other down. A fight was inevitable. As each monster desired to destroy the other.   
  
The Dragon was salivating. It was quite aware that the small meal that stood before him would be a challenging kill. The beast could feel it.   
  
The Zabrak man closed his eyes and cleared his mind, and the force filled him. The tension left his body, and he was ready to test his strength. His eyes opened and he gripped the hilt of his lightsabre in front of him with two hands. A single, red blade of light ignited from the hilt.  
  
Both charged one another. The monstrously heavy footsteps of the krayt dragon kicked up large clouds of sand, and were a stark contrast to the light, silent footsteps of the young apprentice.   
  
With the power of the force, the man leaped high into the air and landed gracefully behind the dragon's head. He raised his energy blade high to plunge it into the dragon's skull, but the creature sensed the strange presence on its back and violently shook its head. The man lost his footing and was thrown onto the sand. He spat and cursed at his mistake, but quickly rose to his feet and prepared or the inevitable counterattack that was coming from his prey.   
  
As the dragon charged and snapped at the warrior, its teeth were met with a red blade that was infinitely hotter than the desert sun. The creature's lunge was easily parried by the warrior. The creature reeled and let out a menacing roar that echoed across the desert.   
  
Maul immediately ran underneath the creature's belly and slashed at the creature's legs. With each strike the creature let out another roar of anguish and agony. After the creature dropped to its knees in pain the sith apprentice hopped onto the tail of the dragon and sprinted up its back towards the creature's head.  
  
He raised his blade and sank it deep into the back of the beast's head. The boiling sound made by the fatal wound cauterizing itself was sickening. The mighty creature's wailing and thrashing had ceased, and its powerful body fell limp onto the ground, kicking up an immense cloud of sand.  
  
The man dismounted from the immense corpse, and examined his handiwork. He hadn't even broken a sweat. Then, he used the force to levitate the corpse of the dragon and rotated it in the air and set the body down on its side, exposing the belly. Maul then stuck his blade into the creature's belly and split it open, spilling its entrails. He began to sift through the mess before him, searching for the gizzard of the lizard. When he found it, it contained something round and solid... he had found what he came for. Using his lightsabre one last time, he sliced open the gizzard and then extinguished his lightsabre. Then, with both hands free, he reached into the displaced organ and removed the spherical stone within.   
  
Maul, now carrying a krayt pearl under his arm, picked up his cloak and informed his master of his success through a small comm link. He was complemented by a raspy voice on the other end of the line and told to return to his ship. His master was pleased.   
  
The Sith warrior mounted his speeder bike and took off across the desert to return to his ship and leave Tatooine. He had bested a krayt dragon with little effort. His training was nearing completion. Soon, he would finally become the Jedi hunting weapon he was meant to be.


	2. Focus

**Disclaimer:** In no way do I claim ownership of these characters and stuff.  
  
**Author's Note:** Yeah, I know. I've been inactive for a long time. Sorry about that, but despite my absence I'm at least starting to see things with a new insight… anyhow, thanks for the commentary on my prior chapter, Lady of Light. As you suggested, I'll be including a little glossary excerpt at the beginning of each subsequent chapter, in addition to editing one into the first chapter. I hope you enjoy this one, although it isn't an action chapter.  
  
**Term Guide:**  
  
_Yavin IV_- the fourth moon of the gas giant planet Yavin. It is the only one of Yavin's moons that can sustain life. For a long time, it was the center of Sith activity and the site of many battles between the Sith and the Jedi. One of the temples of the planet is used as a secret rebel base in Star Wars: A New Hope.  
  
_Massassi_- a race of beings that were created through Sith alchemy and magic. They lived on Yavin IV and built the colossal Massassi temples as focal points for the dark side of the force, and Sith magic. They were wiped out long ago by the Jedi.  
  
_Darth Bane_- a Sith Lord that restructured the Sith Order into the stealthy one master and one apprentice incarnation that exists at the time of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.

_

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_Second Chapter: Focus_  
  
Towering over the ancient forest canopy of Yavin IV was the menacing, cold form of one of the ancient Massassi Temples. The dark gray stone shape was a monumental tribute to the long-forgotten race of the Sith.  
  
This ancient ruin was all that remained of the Siths' late descendants, the Massassi. These old structures stand proudly in defiance of the will of the Jedi. Unfortunately, the Massassi had not existed for millennia, so the irrepressible foliage had been gradually engulfing the structures since the demise of the temple caretakers, long ago.  
  
Atop the crumbling ruin stood Darth Maul, meditating in the twilight. The temple was serving its purpose and making it easier for Maul to focus the force. He could sense the force growing within him. One day, he would complete his training and begin to avenge the seemingly eternal persecution of his people at the hands of the Jedi.   
  
A chill ran down his spine as he sensed surges in the force. His straying thought about the Jedi had upset the restless spirits of long slain Sith that had been tormented for millennia by their deaths at the hands of the Jedi in battles long ago.  
  
Darth Maul opened his eyes and was brought out of his meditation completely by the hateful energies of the hostile spirits that surrounded him. "This is the very reason the Sith were never able to survive for long periods of time before, " he thought. "Not only have the Sith always had to fight the Jedi, they also had to deal with one another. The reasons my predecessors have always failed was because of their treacherous nature and self-centeredness. They had no discipline, and were a disgrace to the old Sith order. Thankfully, Darth Sidious was a wise master who followed the teachings of the great Darth Bane, who was able to prevent the extinction of the order long ago."   
  
Darth Maul looked calmly over the serene view of the night sky from atop the temple.   
  
The dark, lush forests of Yavin IV were teeming with life as the immense gas giant illuminated the night sky. Twilight night under the pastel orange glow of the planet Yavin provided a very mystical and dreamy atmosphere for reflection. Although Maul was very disciplined and took a no-nonsense approach to fulfilling his purpose, he was still a very passionate man (as most followers of the dark side of the force are). In fact, the only thing protecting him from the hostile, accursed Sith spirits that basked in the force around him was his profound hatred of the Jedi.  
  
Despite his hatred for the Jedi, the restless spirits, and his recent victory over a fabled Krayt Dragon, he felt at peace while overlooking the lustrous dark green forest canopy that seemed to go on forever under the night sky. The soft glow of the gaseous orange planet was a soothing source of light, that made the twilight horizon go on for centuries.  
  
Occasionally, during moments like this, Maul allowed his mind to roam freely. One nagging thought that never seemed to go away was the question of what he would do if he was not training in the dark side of the force. Darth Sidious had found Maul when the man was only a boy, and since then, Maul's life had been nothing but torturous, harsh training. Maul's devotion lied only in avenging the Sith, and obeying his master. He would be the ultimate living, breathing weapon against the oppressive Jedi. However, even Darth Maul couldn't help but wonder…  
  
Where would he be if Darth Sidious never had found him? Where would his devotion lie?  
  
Maul pondered this for a bit, but only for a bit. Then, as he had always done in the past, he let the thought slip out of his mind. "I have to remember my purpose," he reminded himself. "My training must continue."  
  
Before dismounting from the top of the temple and walking back to his ship, he gave one last look at the night sky and said, "Someday…. I'll have an apprentice. And maybe…."  
  
Maul cut himself off and shook in frustration. "I'm losing my focus again…"


End file.
